Jonathan Majors could be joining the Creed movie franchise with a leading role opposite Michael B. Jordan in the third installment of the film series. The Lovecraft County actor is in the final negotiations to star as the nemesis to Joran’s character, Adonis Creed, reports Deadline.
Majors’ breakout role in 2019’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco has resulted in his steady rise among Hollywood’s top talent. Not only did the 31-year-old lead the aforementioned film and television series, he recently co-starred in the Spike Lee-directed Da 5 Bloods and nabbed a role in Marvel’s upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Creed III is slated to be Michael B. Jordan’s official directorial debut after excelling as on-screen talent for decades. Actresses Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad will reportedly return for the third film, however, Sylvester Stallone, lead actor in the franchise’s parent series, Rocky, will not.
In March, Jordan shared his desire and excitement to finally make moves on his directing dreams. “Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right,” Jordan said to IndieWire. “Creed III is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect.
“All of which sets the table for this moment. This franchise and in particular the themes of Creed III are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed’s story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake.”
Creed III is due in theaters Thanksgiving 2022.